Vehicle driving mechanism.



w. LUXMORE. I VEHICLE DRIVING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 29' 1913.

1,178,657. Patented Apr. 11, 1916.

'mE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH co. WASHINGTON, D. c

WILLIAM LUXMORE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

VEHICLE DRIVING- MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 11, 1916.

Application filed December 29, 1913. Serial No. 809,220.

To all whom it may concern:

- Be it known that I, WILLIAM LUxMoRE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Vehicle DrivingMechanism, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exactdescription, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming apart of this specification.

My invention relates to vehicle driving mechanism and its object is toprovide improved mechanism of this class which is of sturdy constructionand which is capable of being economically manufactured.

The construction of my improved driving mechanism is such that thedriving wheels of a vehicle with which the mechanism is associated arepermitted to revolve at different speeds, as for instance, when the vehicle turns a corner or otherwise departs from a straight line oftravel, and this result is'seoured without employing any one of theseveral forms of differential gears which have been almost universallyemployed in the past tosecure this result.

My invention will be more clearly understood by referring to theaccompanylng drawings, in which Figure 1 is a view, partly in elevationand partly in section, illustrating an automobile driving mechanismembodying my invention; Fig. 2 is an elevational view of that portion ofthe mechanism associated with one of the driving wheels; Fig. 3 is aperspective view of a portion of one of the disks with which each of thewheels is provided and the roller which bears on the disk and which atcertain times serves to lock the disk to the drum within which it isdisposed, and Fig. 4 is a view partly in section and partly in elevationof a slightly modified embodiment of my invention.

Similar reference numerals'refer to similar parts throughout the severalviews.

Referring to Fig. 1, I have illustrated at 4 a vehicle axle upon whichthe vehicle driving wheels are arranged to be mounted. Loosely mountedupon the axle are the driving wheels, each of which comprises a drum 5having an integral hub 6. Radiating from the hubs 6 are the spokes 7which are securely clamped in position between rings 8 and drums 5 bymeans of suitable bolts 9 which pass through the rings 8 and havethreaded engagement with the drums. Each of the drums 5 has securedthereto a plate 10 for closing the open side of the drum, each of saidplates comprising a hub 11 loosely mounted upon the axle 4. Any suitablemeans may be provided for driving the axle 4, as for instance the chaindrive mechanism illustrated in the drawings, this mechanism comprising asprocket wheel 12 keyed upon the axle 4 and a chain 13 engaging theteeth of the sprocket wheel, said chain belng operatively connected toand driven from the vehicle power plant. within each of the drums 5 is adisk 14 having a portion of its periphery cut away. Secured to thecut-away portion of the disk is a bearing plate 15 of hardened steel orother suitable material. Each of the disks 14 has a rectangular opening16 therethrough, in which is disposed a block 17 which is keyed to theaxle 4, as illustrated in Fig. 2. Each of the blocks 17 may, if

desired, comprise flanges bearing against the inner face of itsassociated disk 14, as illustrated.

The axle 4 is provided with a longitudinal The rocker-shaft is providedwith reduced end portions 20 of substantially semi-circularcross-section, which reduced portions engage in corresponding openingsin rocker arms 21. Telescopically mounted upon each of the rocker arms21is a head 22 which at its outer end has secured thereto a roller 23disposed between the plate 15 of its associated disk 14 and the insideof the drum 5, a suitable spring being interposed between the rocker arm21 and head 22 to normally hold the head in the position illustrated inthe drawings. Secured to each of the disks 14 is a guide 24 for one ofthe heads 22.

In the embodiment of my invention herein illustrated, the blocks 17 arerecessed at 25 to accommodate the rocker arms 21 and the heads 22. Asclearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the plates 15 are each provided withintegral cam portions 26 and 27, the function of which will hereinafterbe made apparent.

The drums 5 are provided with annular flanges 28, to which are securedthe brake drums 29, as shown.

Having now described the structure of the driving mechanism of myinvention, I will now explain the operation thereof: Let us assume thatto drive the vehicle in a forward direction the axle 4 is rotated in thedirection indicated by the arrow in Fig.

Disposed slot 18 in which is carried a rocker-shaft 19. v

2. As the axle is so rotated, the block 17 and disks 1% at each end ofthe axlewill also be rotated. l/Vhen this occurs the rollers 23 areclamped between drums 5 and the cam portions 27 of the disk-carriedplates 15. When the rollers are so clamped, each of the disks is, ofcourse, locked to its associated drum, and the wheel of which the drumforms a part is positively driven from the axle t upon which it islocated. As the vehicle departs from a straight line of travel, one ofthe driving wheels will rotate faster than the other, as is well knownto those skilled in the art. When this occurs, the drum 5 of thefaster-rotating driving wheel is permitting to travel ahead of its disk14, the other drum 5 being positively driven from the axle, as before.On account of the rocker shaft connecting the rollers 23, anything butsimultaneous movement of the rollers is prevented and the rollerassociated with the faster-moving wheel is held in position to look itsassociated drum 5 to its disk 14, when the rates of rotation of thedrums are again the same--that is, when the vehicle is again moving in astraight line. If the axle 4 is driven in the reverse direction tomovethe vehicle backward, the

same operation takes place, except that at this time the rollers 23 areclamped between the drums 5 and the cam portions 26 of the disk-carriedplates 15.

Let us now assume that the vehicle is traveling down hill with theengine driven from the driving wheels through the transmissionmechanism, if desired. If, in such a case, the machine is travelingforward, the rollers are clamped between drums 5 and the cam portions26. If when the rear axle is being driven from the wheels, as set forth,the direction of the vehicle is changed, the shaft continues to rotatewith the drum carried by the faster-revolving wheel, the disk 14associated with the slower wheel being adapted to rotate ahead of itsdrum. When this occurs, the roller 23 associated with the slower wheelis, on account of the rocker arm 19, prevented from slipping back to beclamped between the drum 5 and the cam portion 27. When the rollers 23are clamped between the cam portions mentioned and the drums 5 a stressis exerted upon each of the disks which tends to move it from itsposition concentric with the axle l. If the disks were rigidly mountedupon the axle there would be a tendency to distort the shaft when eitherof the disks was clamped to its drum 5. By permitting relative movementof the blocks 17 and the disks lt I secure an arrangement wherein thereis no such tendency to distort the axle. Whatever strain is exerted uponthe cut-away portion of one of the disks through its locking roller istaken up by the opposite fiange'portion of the drum 5 within which thedisk is located.

Fig. 4 illustrates a modified form of my invention, the wheel shown inthis view be ing of the wire spoke type. In this view an axle is shownat 30, which has loosely mounted upon each end thereof a drum 81 whichcomprises an integral hub 32 and a flange 33 arranged to serve as abrake drum. Disks 34 are mounted upon shaft 30 as the disks 14E of Figs.1 and 2 are mounted on shaft at. The disks are provided withlookingrollers, carried by connected rocker arms, as in the embodimentillustrated in the other figures, except that in this case, the rockerarms are disposed on the outer faces of the disks. The open side of thedrum is closed by means of a plate 85 as shown. Disposed around the drum31 is a ring 36 to which the inner ends of the wire spokes 37 aresecured. Dowel pins 38 prevent rotation of the ring 36 upon the drum,and the flange 39 of a hub cap 40 prevents lateral displacement of saidring. This arrangement permits ready access to the contents of the drum31 from the outside ofopening in each of said disks, acorrespondingly-shaped block disposed in said openmg, said disk and"block being capable of a small amount of relative movement, each of saiddisks having a portion. of its periphery cut away, a rocker shaftsupported by the first shaft, rocker arms carried by the ends of saidrocker shaft, and a roller pivotally secured to each of said rockerarms, each of, said rollers being disposed between the cutaway portionof one of the disks and the drum within which the disk is disposed.

2. In combination, a rotatable shaft, a pair of wheels loosely mounteduponthe shaft, a drum associated with each wheel, a disk disposed ineach drum, a polygonal opening in each of said disks, acorrespondingly-shaped block disposed in said opening, said disk andblock being capable of a small amount of relative movement,

.each of said disks having a portion of its periphery cut away, a rockershaft ried by the ends of said rocker shaft, and aroller pivotallysecured to each of said rocker arms, each of said rollers being disposedbetween the cut-away portion of one of the disks and the drum withinwhich the disk is disposed, each of said rocker arms comprising a memberpositively secured to said disk and block being capable of a smallamount of relative movement, each of said disks having a portion of itsperiphery cut away, a rocker shaft supported by the first shaft, rockerarms carried by the ends of said rocker shaft, and a roller pivotallysecured to each of said rocker arms, each of said rollers being disposedbetween the cutaway portion of one of the disks and the drum withinwhich the disk is disposed, each of said disks being provided with abearing plate secured to the cut-away portion thereof, said bearingplates each comprising a pair of integral cam portions.

4. In combination, a rotatable shaft, a drum loosely mounted upon theshaft, a disk within the drum, said disk having a portion of itsperiphery cut away, a polygonal hole through the center of said disk, ablock disposed in said hole, said block being nonrotatable relatively tothe shaft, said block and disk being capable of a small amount ofrelative movement, and means secured to said shaft extending into thecut-away portions of said disk.

5. In combination, a rotatable axle, a driven member rotatably mountedon said axle, a driving member fixed against rotation on said axle,means operable by the relative movement of said driving and drivenmembers for locking them against relative movement, and means wherebysaid locking means is normally held positively in operative relation tosaid rotatable and nonrotatable members to at all times permit one ofsaid members to rotate more rapidly than the other, said shaft and saiddriving member being capable of a slight amount of relative movement.

6. In combination,.a driving shaft having at each end a driven memberrotatably mounted on said shaft, and a driving member non-rotatable onsaid shaft, a rocker shaft carried by said driving shaft, means carriedby said rocker shaft for normally locln'ng the drive and driven membersagainst relative movement, a polygonal opening through the center ofeach of said driving members, a correspondingly-shaped block disposed ineach opening, said blocks being non-rotatably secured to the shaft,there being a slight amount of play between each of said blocks and itsassociated driving member.

7. In combination, a driving shaft having at each end thereof, a drivenmember rotatably mounted thereon, and a driving member non-rotatablethereon, means at each end of said shaft operable by the relativemovement of said drive and driven members for locking them againstrelative movement, means actuated by said operating means to maintainsaid locking means in alinement and insure simultaneous movement of saidoperating means, an opening in each of said driving members, and a blockdisposed in each opening and held non-rotatable on the shaft, therebeing a slight amount of play between each block and its associateddriving member. I

8. In combination, a shaft, a drum loosely mounted upon the shaft, eachof said drums having an open face on the side thereof nearest theadjacent end of the shaft, disks within the drums held against rotarymovement relatively to the shaft, rocker arms adjacent to the faces ofthe disks nearest the ends of the shaft, locking means carried by saidrocker arms, means connecting the rocker arms, and plates closing theopen faces of the drums.

9. In combination, a shaft, a pair of drums mounted upon the shaft, eachof said drums having an open side facing the adjacent end of the shaft,driving members secured to the shaft, there being one of said drivingmembers in each of said drums, means for locking the driving members tothe drums, and removable plates for closing the open sides of the drumswhereby the contents of the drums are readily accessible.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 27th day ofDecember, A. D. 1913.

WILLIAM LUXMORE.

Witnesses:

ROBERT F. BRACKE, CAMERON A. WHITSETT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe "Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0. I

